1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to methods and devices for making sloped concrete floors. More particularly, it relates to an apparatus including a plurality of sloped float sticks having a spirit level and a plurality of adjustment screws.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many garage floors, outdoor patios, and other surfaces are made from concrete that is poured in a substantially level plane. However, the climate may be such that a sloped garage floor, patio, or other concrete surface is more desirable than a level one. The standard slope for a garage floor or patio is a one-eighth inch drop per linear foot.
One conventional method of making the slope is to mark a first end of the area to be sloped at the desired final height of that end and to mark a second end of the area to be sloped at the desired final height of that end. A straight strip of concrete or “mud” is then put down from the first mark to the second and a screed (a leveling device drawn over freshly poured concrete) is used to make that strip of concrete flat along its top as it slopes from the first end to the second end. Multiple parallel strips are spaced apart from one another by a predetermined distance as determined by the installer. The concrete strips are allowed to cure overnight. The area between the sloped strips is filled with concrete on the second day of the job and a screed tool is used again to complete the concrete part of the job. The floor or patio may be finished after the concrete has cured by overlying it with pavers, tile, paint or the like.
There are several disadvantages of that well-known method. The most important disadvantage is the fact that it expands any sloping job into a two day job. Moreover, the building of the properly sloped strips from concrete on the first day of the job is time-consuming.
Another method for making a sloped garage floor or patio avoids the need to make multiple sloped strips of concrete on the first day of the job. The function of the sloped concrete strips is instead performed by a plurality of wooden forms that have a flat bottom edge. The boards are disposed atop the flat surface with the flat bottom edge of each board overlying the flat surface of the garage floor or patio. The top edge surface of each board is pre-cut to include the desired one-eighth inch drop per linear foot. This well-known procedure requires precision sawing of the boards. Concrete is then poured between the forms and a screed is used to shape the top surface of the concrete to the contour presented by the sloped top edge surfaces of the boards.
The boards cannot be left in place so after the concrete has cured, the boards are removed, thereby leaving voids that must be filled with additional concrete that must be cured before the final surface is applied to the sloped floor. This procedure also requires a second day on the job site because the boards cannot be removed on the first day.
Moreover, if the floor is not level when the job is begun, the resulting sloped floor will not be sloped at the desired one-eighth inch to one foot pitch.
There is a need for an improved method of converting substantially level or unlevel concrete floors to concrete floors that are sloped at a predetermined slope. However, in view of the prior art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art that an improved method was needed. Nor was it obvious how the limitations of the prior art could be overcome.